Clothesline stretcher



June 3, 1952 R. R. SCOFIELD CLOTHESLINE STRETCHER Filed Sept. 25, 1946 Inventor ROLAND R.5coF/E/ v By 2&

Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE STRETCHER Roland R. Scofield, Niles, Mich.

Application September 25, 1946, Serial No. 699,288

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clothes line tighteners and fasteners and more particularly to a device which is attached to the end of a clothes line to facilitate the stretching of the line and retaining said line in a taut condition.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a clothes line stretcher of the class described which is simple and durable in construction, efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the invention in a locked position showing the stretcher secured to a support and with the line attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device, the vertical drum removed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device with the line supporting bar shown in section;

Figure 4 is a similar view of the device in a locked position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the vertical drum, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the locking handle.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 represents a flat L-shaped handle having a square opening 6 at one end and a laterally curved locking arm 1 extending from one side edge of the .handle. A circular drum 8 has a squared end 9 adapted to enter the opening 9 so that the drum is at right angles to the handle. The free end of a clothes line I0 is extended through an opening II in a horizontal clothers line supporting bar l2 and said line is extended through a transverse opening l3 in substantially the center of the drum. The handle is then attached to the squared lower end of the drum with the locking arm extending downwardly, as shown in Figure 3. A knot (not shown) may be tied in the free end of the line to rest against the drum. As the handle is rotated horizontally the drum is likewise rotated and the clothes line becomes wound thereon. The handle is then removed from the drum and reversed so that the locking arm is extended upwardly and against the clothes line bar as shown though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A device for tensioning a line between a tubular line support and a point remote therefrom and comprising a cylindrical drum having a transverse opening adapted for anchoring a line thereto for winding on the drum, said support having a transverse opening through which the line is slidable and said line manually rotatably holding the drum at'right angles to the axis of the support, a handle constructed of strap metal and detachably connected at one end to the drum, and an arcuate crank arm projecting laterally at one edge of the handle outwardly with respect to the attached end of the drum when the handle is placed thereon in one position and said crank arm projecting inwardly with respect to the attached end of the drum to partially embrace the support and lock the drum from rotation in a predetermined direction when the handle is reversed on the drum.

ROLAND R. SCOFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 139,469 Kaufman June 3, 1873 410,283 Jinkins Sept. 3, 1889 523,032 Dickinson July 17, 1894 528,194 Van Wagoner Oct. 30, 1894 643,241 Snively Feb. 13, 1900 784,452 Verhoven Mar. 7, 1905 850,612 Beltzer Apr. 16, 1907 1,659,602 Jensen Feb. 21, 1928 1,667,424 Lindensmith Apr. 24, 1928 2,202,193 Davis May 28, 1940 2,496,249 Lawrence Jan. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,569 Great Britain June 4, 1898 

